


iGo to Military School

by Aaerial15



Category: iCarly
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22475716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaerial15/pseuds/Aaerial15
Summary: When Carly covers for one of Sam's pranks, her father sends her to military school.
Kudos: 1





	1. iGo to the Principal's Office

**iGo to Military School**

**An iCarly fanfic  
**

_Author's Note: I do not own the characters in this story, just the situations involved. All characters are the property of Nickelodeon. That being said, Enjoy!  
_

**Ch.1 iGo to the Principal's Office**

1:15, Biology. Carly Shay sat in her seat, trying to look like she was paying attention as the teacher talked about the inner organs of the frog. In truth, she was trying not to throw up. The lecture her class was sitting through was in preparation for the final, which would involve the dissection of a bullfrog. "As we have discussed, the American Bullfrog's stomach is capable of digesting a wide variety of prey, up to and including mice," the teacher said. It was bad luck in Carly's opinion that she had Biology right after lunch. As the teacher continued her lesson on the inner workings of the bullfrog, Carly stared at the empty seat next to her.

Normally the seat was to be occupied by Sam Puckett, Carly's best friend. But it seemed Sam had other plans. Carly knew she wasn't sick, they'd went to school together that morning. She only hoped that her skipping didn't get her into serious trouble. The teacher was suddenly interrupted by the phone ringing. "Yes, Principal Franklin?" she asked. Following a brief moment of silence, the teacher scanned the room. "Yes, she is. I'll send her right to your office. Bye bye." As the teacher hung the up the phone, she called one name. "Carly Shay?" she asked, a serious tone in her voice. Carly hesitantly rose from her seat, wondering what she could have done wrong.

"You're wanted at the Principal's office," the teacher said. Carly swiftly gathered her things. "Did he say what for?" she asked as she shouldered her backpack. The teacher shook her head no. The knot in Carly's stomach grew bigger. She hated surprises like this. She ignored the quiet chorus of "Ooohs" she was receiving from her classmates as she headed for the door. As she closed it, she heard her teacher admonishing them. "That's quite enough, class," the teacher said as the door shut.

She took a deep breath as she opened the door to Principal Franklin's office. To her surprise, Sam was in the office. Principal Franklin gave an exasperated sigh as Carly entered the office and took a seat next to Sam. "You wanted to see me?" she asked respectfully as she sat down. Sam suppressed a laugh. "It's not funny," Principal Franklin said sternly. Carly rolled her eyes. "Sam, what did you do this time?" she asked, looking her best friend in the eye.

"It was too good to pass up," Sam began explaining between giggles. "What?" Carly demanded. "What was too good to pass up?" As if in answer to her question, Miss Briggs burst into the office. She was covered from head to toe in a mixture of green and yellow gunk. "I want that beast expelled!" the angry teacher exclaimed. Carly took in her appearance in shock. "Yes, thank you, Miss Briggs," the principal replied. "Sam, what did you do?" Carly asked.

"Apparently, Sam rigged her desk to detonate a large quantity of... whatever that was when she opened a drawer," Principal Franklin answered. "Principal Franklin, she's gone too far this time! I'm not leaving this office until you expel her," Miss Briggs interrupted angrily. Ted Franklin rubbed the back of his head. "Look, Francine, school's out. Why don't you go home and take a shower. I promise I will punish Sam for this," he said. Francine Briggs glared at her superior for a moment, before finally leaving the office in a huff.

"It's just your standard multi-colored slime bomb," Sam explained, trying hard not to laugh any more. Neither Principal Franklin, nor Carly seemed amused. "Look," Principal Franklin said. "Sam, you're in your junior year of high school. Don't you think it's time to stop these childish pranks?" Sam seemed to think about it for a moment. Stop pranking? But it was so much fun, and Miss Briggs was such an easy target. "Nah," she answered.

"Look, Ted, we've known each other, what? Three years now? This is what I do." Ted Franklin stared hard into her eyes. She cracked a smile as she stared right back. It seemed that this was all a big game to her. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that it was. They'd been doing this song and dance far too long. "I've made my decision," he finally said after a few minutes of thought. "You will report to detention for the next two weeks," he continued. Sam rose from her chair, thinking they were done.

"I'm not done," he said, causing her to sit right back down. Carly began to get very worried. This wasn't the first time she'd been called for something like this. It drove her nuts, but she accepted it as one of the perks of being friends with Sam. But she could sense from Principal Franklin's tone of voice that he was not joking. "I want you to listen carefully," he continued, causing Sam to stop laughing. "It seems that detention and even suspension isn't getting through to you." At the mention of suspension, Sam seemed to be mesmerized. "I didn't want to have to do this, but it seems you've left me with no choice." There was more seriousness in his tone than either girl had ever heard.

"From now, until the end of this year, if I have to see you because you've pranked any teacher in this school, you will be expelled." He turned his attention to Carly. "I asked you here for this because if anybody can keep her on track, it's you." Carly nodded. "I'll do my best, sir," she replied. "Go home, I'll see you tomorrow," he said. As they turned to leave, he gave Sam one final warning. "And Sam, I'm serious. Please do not push this any farther." She didn't even look back as she went through the door. Carly turned before following. "I'll do what I can," she said. Principal Franklin looked right at her. "Good luck," he replied as Carly left his office.


	2. Unexpected Surprises

**Ch.2 Unexpected Surprises**

"So what did you do to Miss Briggs?" Freddie asked as the iCarly trio walked home from school. By now, he'd heard rumors. Sam smiled. "Oh, I got her good," she replied. Carly looked at her sternly. "It's not funny, Sam," she lectured. Sam ignored her. "It was hilarious!" she replied, trying in vain to stifle laughter. Carly tried to bring her back down to earth. "You heard Principal Franklin! How funny do you think it'll be if you get expelled?" Carly asked. Freddie chose this moment to intervene. "Whoa, whoa, wait, what, expelled? Sam, what did you do?" he asked.

Sam found Freddie's shock even more hilarious, and exploded in a fit of laughter. "She rigged Miss Briggs' desk with a slime bomb," Carly answered. Freddie wasn't surprised. "Miss Briggs was furious, and Sam's attitude didn't help the situation," she continued. Sam finally stopped laughing. "Carls, what are you talking about?" Sam demanded. "What was wrong with my attitude?" Freddie took a step back. The last time Carly and Sam fought, iCarly almost ended. "You should have seen the way she talked to Principal Franklin," Carly said. "It was like it was all one big joke to her."

"Duh," Sam defended. "It was." Carly looked her right in the eye. "Well, Principal Franklin didn't sound like he was joking when he said he'd expell you if you pranked another teacher," Carly scolded. Sam rolled her eyes. "Look," Sam scoffed. "We both know he was just bluffing about that," Sam said. The tone in her voice said she wasn't so sure. "Oh, really, Sam? I saw you nearly go catatonic in there when he mentioned suspension," Carly replied. Sam went silent at this observation. "Look, will it make you feel better if I promise to lay low for a while?" Sam finally asked. Carly stared directly into her eyes. "You can't just lay low for a while. You have to go the rest of the year without pranking," Carly reminded her.

Now it was Freddie's turn to laugh. "Sam? Sam Puckett? Has to go almost an entire year without pranking?" Sam cut him off with a sharp elbow to his ribs. "You're not getting past that concept any time soon, are you?" she asked, slightly annoyed. "It's just..." he found himself unable to finish his sentence. The laughter was too much. "Just what, Fredlumps?" Sam demanded, her tone changing from annoyed to borderline angry. Freddie hesitated, realizing he'd struck a nerve. "You've never been able to resist an opportunity to prank anyone you don't like," Freddie finally finished. It was clear he was speaking from experience.

Carly opened the door, and the three stepped into Bushwell Plaza. Sam realized Freddie was right. Anyone who annoyed her was considered fair game, and outside of Carly that pretty much meant everyone. "This is gonna be a long year," Sam said slowly. Carly placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Yes it is," she replied. "But Freddie and I are here to keep you on track." Before the moment could last, the trio was interrupted by Lewbert's angry shouting. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY LOBBY?" he angrily demanded, causing Carly and Freddie to jump. They quickly made their way upstairs to Carly's apartment.

Carly opened the door to her apartment, and her jaw immediately dropped in surprise. "Dad?" she asked. "When did you get home?" Colonel Steven Shay embraced his only daughter in a hug. "I'm off on leave for a while," he replied. Carly smiled. It felt good to finally see her father. But unfortunately, it was rehearsal night for the next iCarly. "Look, Dad, I can't wait to spend time with you, but we have to rehearse for the next iCarly. At hearing this, Sam and Freddie thought quickly.

"No, we don't," Sam interjected. "But it's tomorrow," Carly said insistently. "It's cool," Freddie added. "iCarly will be fine. You should spend time with your father," he reasoned. Sam nodded her agreement. "Yeah, and Freddie and I will get out of your hair. See you in school tomorrow, Carls," Sam said with a smile. She left the apartment with Freddie with no further delay. "So what do you wanna do?" she asked Freddie as soon as the door closed. Freddie thought for a moment.

"How about Galini's Pie?" Freddie asked. Sam smiled. "Mama could use a good coconut cream pie," she replied. Before they could leave, they found themselves interrupted by Marissa Benson's demanding cry. "Freddie Benson!" she yelled as she threw the door to her apartment open. "You get in here this instant," she ordered. Freddie suddenly remembered what day of the week it was. "Ah, mom, do I really need another tick bath?" Freddie groaned. His protest was ignored. "Get in here right now!" she demanded. Freddie sighed. "Rain check?" he asked. Sam nodded in the affirmative. "I'll hold you to it," she said brightly. Freddie begrudgingly went inside to face the indignity of another tick bath. Sam decided to head home as well, not even thinking about what the next day could bring.

The next day came soon enough. Carly and Freddie went to school that morning together, as per the usual routine. "I bet you ten bucks Sam doesn't show till at least second period," Freddie said jokingly. At hearing his prediction, he noticed a gleam in Carly's eye. "I'll bet ten bucks she's on time," Carly replied with a laugh. Freddie hesitated for a moment. He thought how nice it was to bet something as simple as money for once. Every time he made a bet with Sam, the stakes were always embarrassing.

"You're on," he said, shaking her hand. Ten minutes later, and they were standing in front of Carly's locker. "Is it too much to hope Mr. Howard is sick today?" Sam's voice cut in, to Freddie's chagrin. Carly had a face as wide as the grand canyon on her face. "Pay up, Freddie," she said with a laugh. Sam eyed her friends suspiciously. "Pay up?" she asked. Freddie pulled out his wallet, and retrieved a ten dollar bill, which he handed to Carly. "Did you guys make a bet on weather or not I'd show up?" Sam asked in mock anger.

"Hey, Freddie's the one who said you wouldn't be here til second period," Carly answered. "I said you'd be on time. And you were." Sam and Carly exchanged a high-five. "That's my girl," Sam said with a laugh. Carly retrieved her text book just in time for the bell to ring, signalling the beginning of first period. It was a class the three of them shared. And also a class they dreaded. Mr. Howard, Social Studies. Along with Miss Briggs, he seemed to have it out for the trio, making the three of them sit at the very front of the class so that they couldn't "plot against him," as he put it.

As they took their seats, Sam had a sudden moment of rememberance. "Oh, shiz," she said under her breath. She hadn't thought of her meeting with Principal Franklin till just now. "What is it?" Carly asked, suddenly concerned. Sam's face changed from happy to worried in the blink of an eye. "I completely forgot about something," she replied. Carly took note of the urgency in Sam's tone. "Your homework?" Freddie asked, trying to sound helpful. Carly however, suspected it was something else, as she too had a brief flashback to Principal Franklin's office.

"Please tell me you didn't set up a prank," Carly whispered. Sam just stared at the floor. Carly fought the urge to scream. But it was too late. Mr. Howard had entered the classroom, and was rapidly approaching his desk. The plan Sam had set in motion was about to be unveiled. She pulled three umbrellas from her backpack. She handed one each to Carly and Freddie, and kept the third for herself. "Do we even want to know what these are for?" Freddie asked as quietly as he could.

"Let's just say it's about to get messy," Sam replied in an equally quiet whisper. She opened the umbrella and pointed it toward the teacher's desk like a shield. Carly and Freddie were quick to do the same. It was clear she had thought this through. "Why do you three have umbrellas?" Mr. Howard demanded as he sat down. "It's not raining," he continued ranting. 'It's about to,' Sam thought. Right on cue, a mixture of dog crap and cow manure rained down from the ceiling. Mr. Howard was completely covered in it, and the iCarly trio would have been in the splash zone if it weren't for Sam's preparedness.

The smell was horrible. Mr. Howard seemed to be in shock. He finally found his voice however. "Who? Who DID this?" he angrily demanded. Sam looked resigned. She was prepared to fess up. As she began to stand, Carly stopped her. "It was me," Carly said, rising from her desk. Mr. Howard glared at her. "YOU?" he repeated. Carly tried to make it convincing. After all, everyone who knew her knew she followed the rules too much to ever do something like this. "Pretty funny, huh?" Carly asked with a laugh. Freddie eyed his friend and neighbor. "What are you doing?" he mouthed. Sam remained silent. She hadn't asked Carly to take the bullet for her. She only hoped Carly didn't get in too much trouble.

"PRETTY FUNNY?" Mr. Howard roared. Carly stopped her halfhearted laughter immediately. "Principal's office. NOW!" he ordered. Carly swiftly gathered her things and began her trek to Principal Franklin's office. She glared at Sam on the way out. She walked to the office as though she were headed to the Gallows. She hadn't even thought of the fact that her father was in town til now, and there was no way he was gonna like this.


	3. iDecide my Punishment

**Ch. 3 iDecide my Punishment**

"Principal's office. NOW!" Carly's mind briefly flashed back to Mr. Howard's angry voice. As she turned the door knob to Principal Franklin's office, she felt the hole in her stomach get deeper. "Carly, why don't you take a seat," Principal Franklin said with an exasperated sigh. What Mr. Howard had told him over the phone didn't make any sense. Something was amis here. Though he had his doubts about Carly's guilt, he proceeded as though she were.

"Would you like to tell me why you thought it would be funny to cover Mr. Howard in excrement?" he questioned. For her part, Carly never wavered. "He thinks I'm a troublemaker," Carly replied sarcastically. "Might as well prove him right." Principal Franklin glared at her. "I would expect something like this from Sam," he fired back. "And after yesterday, I doubt she'd test me this quickly." He looked Carly straight in the eyes. "Are you sure this was all your doing?" he asked. Carly realized what he was attempting to do. He was trying to give her a way out of this. But as much as she would have loved to jump on it, she knew that by doing so, Sam would surely be expelled.

"I got him good, didn't I?" she asked with a laugh. She quickly stopped when the principal did not join in. He took a deep breath. He had to call the parents at this point. "Very well then," he said as he picked up the phone. Carly stared at the floor as he dialed the number to Spencer's apartment. She only hoped that her dad was not at the apartment at the moment.

Spencer had just stepped into the shower when the phone began ringing. Their father was in the living room at the time, and thus, answered. "Hello," he said, "Spencer, this is Principal Franklin," came the reply. Carly's father hesitated for a brief second. "I'm sorry, you have the wrong person, this is Steven Shay. How may I help you?" he asked. Principal Franklin seemed surprised. "Mr. Shay, I didn't know you were in town," he replied. It was clear he was expecting Spencer. At the mention of her father's name, Carly went white.

"No problem," Colonel Shay replied. Principal Franklin then got right to the point of the call. "Well sir, I have Carly in my office. It seems she's pranked a teacher," Franklin explained. The Colonel seemed to be stunned at this revelation. "Really? What did she do, exactly?" he asked. Principal Franklin told Carly's father of the morning's events. As the call concluded, Spencer finished his shower and entered the living room. "Thanks for calling," Colonel Shay said. "I'm on my way now." With that he hung up.

"What was that about?" Spencer asked. The grin quickly left his face when he saw the way his father was looking at him. "Exactly what has been going on lately?" he demanded. Spencer was confused. "What do you mean? Carly's been doing great in school, and we rarely have problems," he replied. His father was not convinced. "Really? Because that was Principal Franklin. Apparently she broke the rules, big time." Spencer couldn't believe it. "Let's go talk to him then, maybe we can straighten everything out," Spencer reasoned.

"We aren't going to talk to him," the Colonel said pointedly. "I am going to talk to him. And then I'm going to talk to her, and she'd better have a really good explanation." The Colonel said nothing further as he exited the apartment. Meanwhile at Ridgeway, the bell for lunch had just sounded. Principal Franklin decided to be merciful for the moment. "Why don't you go have lunch, Carly," he said. It was more an instruction than an option, that much was clear. "Yes, sir," Carly replied. She had went from being nearly like Sam in her behavior, to meek as soon as the phone call to her father had been made, which made the Principal more doubtful of her guilt. He had hoped that Spencer could help get to the bottom of it, but was taken by surprise by her father being home. As Carly took her leave, he gave her one instruction. "Enjoy your lunch. But Carly, you get back here as soon as lunch is over." Carly nodded her acknowledgement before heading to the cafeteria. As she left the office, she heard the secretary informing the principal of her father's arrival.

Carly slowly sat down at the table with Sam and Freddie. "So, how'd it go?" Sam asked. Carly glared at her in response. "Look, I'm sorry, ok. I completely forgot I set that prank up yesterday during lunch," she continued. Carly remained silent, but her glare seemed to intensify. "Wait, how did you manage to break into Howard's classroom?" Freddie asked. "Not important!" Sam barked. "I didn't even think about it till class this morning, it wasn't like I could stop it," she defended.

Carly finally broke her silence. "Yeah well, Principal Franklin called my dad. He's here right now. If I'm lucky, I'll only get grounded." A slight tinge of guilt crossed Sam's face. "What if you're not so lucky?" Freddie asked. "I could end up moving to Yakima," Carly deadpanned. "What? Why?" Sam asked. It seemed unfair for Carly to leave Spencer over this. "Because my dad's gonna think Spencer's not strict enough," Carly replied. Freddie could hear no more.

"Sam, you have to fess up," he said. "No!" both girls yelled in unison. "If Sam confesses, she'll be expelled," Carly said. Freddie thought it over. He hated to say it, and he and Sam had come a long way as friends, but he needed felt it needed to be said. "Well," he began hesitantly, backing away from the table as he spoke. "Well what?" Sam demanded. "Maybe you should be expelled," he said. Sam began to advance on him, but he stood his ground.

"You're the one who can't seem to follow the rules," he continued. "Why should Carly have to suffer for it?" Sam lashed out, grabbing Freddie's collar. "Look, Fredward," she began in a threatening tone, but before she could say anything else, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. She released him quickly, not wanting a teacher to see. Carly had already taken a huge risk for her. She didn't want to blow it by getting in trouble anyway. "Saved by the bell, nub," she growled, before heading to her locker.

Carly began to head back to the office. "Aren't you going to class?" Freddie asked. Carly shook her head. "Nope. Principal Franklin told me to go back to his office after lunch," she replied. Freddie nodded. "Good luck," he said. Carly nodded in return before heading back to the office. She wasn't surprised to see her father sitting in a chair when she got there. Colonel Shay sent his daughter a look that clearly conveyed his unhappiness.

"Hi, Dad," she said quietly. "Don't "Hi, Dad" me, young lady," her father growled. Carly wished the ground could swallow her whole at that moment. Her father looked her over. "Principal Franklin, could you step outside for a moment so that I could have a word with my daughter please?" he asked after a moment of silence. "Of course," the principal responded. As he left the room, Carly thought it would be safe to fess up that she was just covering for Sam, but her father didn't give her the chance.

"I've thought it over, and it is clear to me that you aren't getting enough discipline living with Spencer," he began. "Spencer is the best-" Carly couldn't finish, as she was cut off. "Apparently not," he continued. "So I've decided to leave your punishment up to you," he finished. Carly took a deep breath. "What are my options?" she asked, almost dreading the answer. "Well, option A is to transfer your guardianship to your Grandfather," he began.

"But that would mean I have to move to Yakima," Carly interrupted. Her father nodded. "Yes, that brings me to the second option," he replied. Carly waited expectantly. "Military school," he said. Carly sunk in her chair in shock. "Military school?" she questioned. Her father was undettered. "Yes, Carly, military school." Carly stared at her father in disbelief. "You will attend school in the George Washington Air Force Academy right here in Seattle for at least one semester," he continued.

He decided to provide a ray of hope. "If at the end of that time, I feel your behavior has improved, you may return to Ridgeway to finish your senior year." Carly gulped. "So which will it be?" he pressed. Carly took a deep breath. "Military school," she replied, her voice resigned. Her father called the principal back into the room to inform him of Carly's departure. "Sam had better appreciate this," she muttered under her breath.


	4. iPack

**Ch.4 iPack**

Carly entered the apartment she called home without a word. "Carly, your school called," Spencer said as she ran up stairs. "What happened?" he asked. Carly paused to answer him, but before she could utter a word, her father answered for her. "Carly can't talk now," Colonel Shay replied. "She has to go pack."

"Pack?" Spencer asked. "What for?" A sad thought suddenly came to him. "You're not making her move in with Grand Dad are you?" he asked slowly. Before their father could answer, Carly did. "He's making me go to military school."

"Military school?" Spencer demanded. "Did she really do something that serious?" Their father was undettered. "Yes," he replied. "In fact, she's lucky I gave her the option, given what happened. Now, I have to make the arrangements. Carly, I expect you to be ready to leave when I get back." Carly nodded. "Yes, sir," she replied. Colonel Shay left without saying another word.

Carly turned to head upstairs, but Spencer stopped her. "Carly, what happened? I've never seen Dad this mad." Carly bit her lip. She knew she had to tell him. She had tried to tell her father on the way home from school, but he had made it clear he didn't want to hear any excuses for her "inexcusable" behavior.

"Sam set up a prank on Mr. Howard," she said slowly. Spencer didn't even pretend to look surprised. "What did she do?" he asked. Carly looked at her feet. "She set the ceiling above his desk to drop manure and...something else on him," she replied. Spencer recoiled in shock. "Wow," he said. "That's a little overboard, even for Sam." Carly nodded her agreement. "So, if Sam did it, why don't you tell Dad and Principal Franklin?" Spencer asked.

Carly shook her head. "I can't tell Principal Franklin," she answered. "He called me into his office yesterday. Sam pranked Miss Briggs," she explained. "And how did that go?" Spencer asked. "Well, you know how Sam acts around most authority figures, right?" she replied. Spencer nodded. "I do," he said.

"Well, I think she went too far with it. Principal Franklin told her that if she gets caught pranking another teacher this year she'll be expelled." Spencer immediately made the connection. "So, you're covering for her so she doesn't," he stated. Carly nodded.

"I tried to tell Dad, but he didn't want to hear it," she explained. "That doesn't surprise me," Spencer replied. Carly nodded. "He gave me the choice between military school for a semester or living with Grand Dad," she said. Spencer nodded in understanding. "And you chose military school," he replied. Carly nodded in response.

"Look, I'm gonna go upstairs and pack," Carly said. "I really don't want to make Dad any madder." Spencer nodded. "Look, it'll be fine. Once he's had a chance to calm down, I'll try to talk to him," he replied.

With that, Carly headed upstairs to pack. As she stepped in her room, she felt a shiver of sadness. It looked like for the immediate future, iCarly was cancelled. She retrieved a suitcase from her closet, and began filling it. She seemed to be numb to the world as she packed. She had covered for Sam before. In fact, it was well known between the trio that her covering for Sam was what led to iCarly's start.

She didn't even hear Sam and Freddie coming up the stairs. A knock at the open door startled her. "We heard," Freddie said softly. "Can we come in?" Carly nodded, and they entered. "So, how'd it go with your dad?" Freddie asked.

"Not good," she replied, continuing to pack. Freddie and Sam eyed the suitcase. "Wait, why are you packing?" Sam asked. "Your dad's not making you move is he?" Carly shook her head. "No he's not," she replied. The two eyed their friend expectantly. "He's making me go to military school," she said.

Freddie stared at Carly in shock. Sam seemed to think it over. "No you're not," she said. Her mind was made up. "I'll talk to Principal Franklin in school, I'll tell him I did it-" Carly cut her off. "Don't you dare!" she said.

"Why not?" Sam demanded. "You shouldn't take this much heat for something I did," she reasoned. Carly was unfazed. "And let you get expelled? It's too late. What's done is done," Carly replied. Freddie was unconvinced. "Are you sure?" he asked. "And what about iCarly?"

Carly nodded, her mind made up. "Look, it won't be so bad," she said. "Dad said that if my behavior improves, he'll let me return to Ridgeway to finish the year," she explained. "And I guess iCarly will be taking a short break," she added. She thought for a moment. "But as long as you guys are here, you can help me pack," she said. "I have to be done by the time Dad gets back."

Colonel Steven Shay returned to Spencer's apartment a short time later. "Carly!" he called. "Are you ready to go?" In answer, the elevator door opened, revealing Carly, Sam and Freddie. "They're just here to say goodbye," Carly said, before her father could say anything. "Fair enough," he replied. "Let's go, we have to get you settled in at George Washington Academy," he said.

Carly nodded, and dutifully followed her father, stopping only to hug Spencer on her way out. "I'll miss you," she said, trying to stifle her tears. "Me too, Kiddo. Me too," he replied. Freddie helped Carly with her luggage as they made their way to Bushwell's lobby. Sam brought up the rear, a silent look of contemplation on her face. She could feel guilt eating her up as they got to the door.

"I'll miss you guys," Carly said before following her father. "We'll miss you too," Freddie said sadly. They didn't go back upstairs until the car containing Carly was out of sight.


	5. Cadet Carly

**Ch.5 Cadet Carly**

The drive to George Washington Academy was not nearly long enough for Carly's taste. She hadn't said a word to her father since they left Bushwell. "I know you might think this is unfair," he said. "But it is for your own good." Carly tried her hardest to stifle her tears. "But dad, I-" Colonel Shay interrupted her before she could finish.

"No buts, Carly. I already told you I don't want to hear any excuses. What you did to your teacher was absolutely unacceptable," he said. Carly nodded. "Yes, sir," she replied. She had thought that if she could just tell her father the truth, he might show some bit of leniency. But so far, every time she tried, he had cut her off the with a "No Excuses" lecture.

"I think this will be good for you," he continued. "You will learn respect for others, and yourself," he lectured. Carly had no choice but to nod her head. "Buck up, it won't be so bad. I went through military school when I was your age," he said. Carly just stared out the window. It made sense. Her father had been career military since before her and Spencer were born.

A few minutes passed, and they arrived at their destination. The first thing Carly noticed as they pulled into the school's parking lot was a large stone tablet. It was taller than Carly, and it was in the shape of George Washington's head. Inscribed on it were the names of various people, alumni, Carly assumed. The very bottom of the tablet bore the school's name.

Carly swallowed nervously. She would much rather be at Ridgeway with her friends. They would have been planning the newest iCarly if not for this unfortunate set of circumstances. She took a deep breath, then followed her father toward the main building.

"This is jank," Sam complained. Freddie agreed. "Yeah it is," he replied. Before he could say another word, Sam beat him to the punch. "Carly's taking the rap for something that I did," she said. "I have to tell the truth."

Normally, Freddie would certainly agree with the sentiment. Sam did it, she should fess up. But he had a loyalty to Carly that was stubbornly unwavering. "Sam, you can't," he replied. Sam stared at him. "Wait, what?" she asked in disbelief. "Earlier you were hoping I'd get in trouble for it," she continued. Freddie looked right at her. They'd had their differences over the years, and Sam had been a huge thorn in Freddie's side at times, but at least toward him and Gibby, she'd finally mellowed out.

"I did, but I didn't know you'd be expelled for it," he defended. "Carly's right, you need to stay silent," Freddie advised. Sam shook her head. "But what if...what if I can't?" she asked slowly. Freddie slowly hugged the blonde. "Sam, if you get expelled, then everything Carly did will be for nothing," he reasoned.

Sam nodded. "I guess you're right," she finally said. "I just hope she gets home soon." Freddie smiled. "With Carly's record of good behavior, it shouldn't be hard," he replied with a laugh. He embraced Sam in a brief hug. "I wonder how she's doing right now," Sam mused.

Carly kept to herself as much as possible as she made her way through the girl's dormitory to her bunk. It proved to be fruitless, however, as she was a well known internet star. At first there were nothing but stares of astonishment as some of the other girls recognized their new dorm mate.

These were followed by whispers of, "Oh my god, that's Carly," that Carly tried her hardest to ignore. Finally a group of girls made their way to the empty bunk that Carly had chosen. As she began making her bunk, one of the girls tapped her on the shoulder.

Carly seemed to be lost in her thoughts, and the sudden interruption startled her slightly. She turned frantically, not knowing who to expect. She had just arrived here, for all she knew it could be one of the school's instructors wanting to chew her out for an unknown rules violation.

To Carly's surprise, a huddle of four girls stood staring at her expectantly. All four were in dress uniform. "Uh, hello," Carly said softly. The lead girl wasted no time in getting to the point of the intrusion. "Oh my god, you're Carly from iCarly," she exclaimed.

Carly smiled nervously. "Yes," she replied. "Oh my god, we love your show. You and Sam are so funny," the girl said as Carly shook her hand. "Well um, thanks," Carly replied. The girl smiled. "My name is Natalie," the girl introduced. She turned to her friends. "This is Heather," she said, indicating the girl on her right.

"And the girls behind me are Jasmine and Britney," she added, finishing the introductions. Carly smiled. Well, at least making friends seemed easy enough. "So if you're here, what happened to iCarly?" Jasmine asked. She was an African American girl of about 15.

"iCarly's taking a short break," Carly replied. The group let out a simultaneous "Aww," in response. "Hopefully we'll back soon," Carly said with a smile. The girls smiled at that. "So I have to ask you, Carly, don't you think Freddie is so dreamy?" Britney asked.

Carly seemed to be stunned for a moment at that question. "I...I don't think of Freddie that way," she finally answered. Britney seemed to stare at her. "Why not?" she asked. "You two would make a cute couple, and he is so hot."

Carly shook her head. "Freddie and I think of ourselves more as...unofficial siblings," she replied after a tense moment of silence. It was clear that this topic was making her uncomfortable. "So why are you here?" Jasmine asked. "I never thought of you as the military school type."

Carly smiled, glad at the topic change. "I'm not," she replied. "You guys have seen Sam, right?" All four girls nodded. "She pranked a teacher, and I took the blame for it so she wouldn't get in trouble." She didn't see the need to elaborate on what kind of trouble.

"So my father made me come here," Carly finished. Before the pleasantries could continue, they and everyone else in the room were interrupted by a very loud "ATTENTION!" Carly's new friends bolted to their bunks, and Carly herself nearly jumped out of her skin in fright.

She did the best to emulate the posture of everyone else in the room as the one who'd given the command entered the room. "I see we have some new faces this year," the girl said. "For those of you who don't know, my name is Tracy Douglas, Captain Douglas to you, maggots," she barked.

"And those of you who do know me, you know that I will not tolerate anything that doesn't make our flight the absolute best." She scanned the room, almost like she was looking for something wrong, someone to chew out. Her gaze immediately landed on Carly.

She crossed the room in no time, stopping in front of Carly's bunk. "Two things. One, who are you? And two, is there some reason you're out of uniform?" Carly gulped. "I'm Carly Shay, and I just-" Tracy cut her off.

"Oh, I've heard of you, you're from iCarly," she said. "Look girls, we have a minor celebrity in our flight this year," she added, before dropping the niceness in her tone. "Drop, and give me 20," she ordered.

"Wait, why?" Carly asked. Tracy glared at her. "10 for being out of uniform, and another 10 because, well, I just don't find your little show all that funny," she barked in response. Carly slowly got down and assumed the push up position. As she started, Tracy barked, "Wait, Cadet!," causing Carly to stop.

"On my count," Tracy ordered. "1," she barked after several minutes of making Carly hold position. As the sweat flowed freely, Carly bit her lip. This was going to be a long semester.


End file.
